Pet fountains that create flowing water for attracting pets are well known and there have been a number of commercially successful pet fountains. Exemplary pet fountains generally include a spout or other water-directing means for providing a continuous flow of water from a reservoir to a container such that the pet is able to drink either directly from the flowing water stream or from the container.
Other known pet fountains utilize multiple containers that are connected to each other at respective sides, or openings through such sides, to create a chain or series of containers arranged in a decreasing height order. This allows water to be pumped to the tallest container and then flow, by way of gravity, through the multiple containers, sequentially until the water is collected in the lowermost container. Such pet fountains can occupy a large amount of floor space since the multiple containers typically define an, at least somewhat, overall elongate structure. Some such pet fountains occupy relatively less floor space, but are rather tall and are configured to look like, for example, mountains or other geological forms, which may not fit with some modern or other decors.
Pet fountains use electronic pumps to draw water from the container and push the water through, at times a filter and then, the spout. Typical pumps have a grate or grill-like inlet and/or an integrated porous material.
One of the drawbacks of conventional pet fountains, such as those described above, is the complexity in their design. In the past, pet fountains have been made of so many components that washing and maintenance have been time consuming and burdensome. As a result, many pet fountains are used for a while by their owners before they quit using them because they are simply too difficult to clean. Many improvements have been made to pet fountains but they still tend to be difficult to clean.
As a result, efforts have been made to design and manufacture pet fountains formed of a minimum of components, which are easy to assemble, take apart, clean and reassemble, and which facilitates simple and easy electric pump cord routing. For example, one proposed pet fountain is composed of a basin for holding a volume of water and a cover that sits atop the basin. The cover has a recessed portion that forms a drinking bowl for holding a smaller volume of water which, in combination with the basin, provides two different water supplies from which a pet may drink. In some instances, a pump is contained beneath the cover and is operative to draw water from the basin and pump it to the drinking bowl of the cover. As the volume of water pumped to the cover exceeds the holding capacity of the drinking bowl, water begins to waterfall from the cover back into the basin.
To provide consistent operation, it is important that the cover remains properly seated atop the basin, If the cover, especially a cover that has a drinking bowl, becomes dislodged, water may fall onto the floor if knocked by a pet, for example. Thus, in addition to an easy-to-assemble and economical pet fountain, there is a need for a pet fountain in which the cover securely, yet removably interfaces with the basin.